Just read the story. Came across while looking the the ones nominated for R/Hr awards. Love the idea in story and wish that you would continue because I would love to see how Ron responds to Hermione's episodes

Author's Response: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so happy to have you on board. I'm definitely not abandoning the fic, it's just been put aside for a bit, because I've got a couple other fics with deadlines. Still, I'm working on it bit by bit. Thanks for the encouragement. :o) *caramel flan for you*

I'm loveing the direction this storie's taking.. can't wait to see how the plot will develop from here!

It seems like it's been forever since your last update, not to rush you.. but i cant wait!!:)

Author's Response: Thank you so much for reading and for the lovely review. More to come, I promise this if isn't abandoned. I'm just juggling writing about 4 different things, and this one is dark so I need to be in the mood. Hopefully, the muse will kick in and let me get another chapter written soon. *toffee bits for you*

Forgot to mention in my response to your other review that having the hard drive crash also meant my laptop had to be sent away for reviews. This left me without a laptop pretty much from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Additionally, I was very ill over the holidays, so no writing got done then. Again, the fic is NOT ABANDONED! I promise I'm working on the next chapter. Thanks again for your continued interest! *chocolate chunk cookies for you*

Author's Response: Sorry it's been so long to respond to this! My hard drive crashed and took with it all of my documents. Luckily I had backups of mostly everything. However, 2 of the losses were the most recent chapters of both this fic and my other WIP (If a Man Answers). I wasn't able to recover any of this chapter, so I had to start over from scratch- UGH! I'm working on it, but it's taking a while, since I'm trying to recreate what I had. It's been a frustrating process. Still, thanks for being so interested in it continuing. I promise it's not abandoned- it's just being difficult! *strawberry shortcake for you*

Brilliant. I can't wait to read what happens next! My heart broke for Hermione when she woke up and thought she was still being tricked...UGH. Keep writing!

Author's Response: Hi there! Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review- I really appreciate it! Luckily, I think the very worst is behind us. Still a bit more to unfold, and then the healing begins. Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm very glad you're enjoying it. *pecan pie for you*

Didn't mention this in the last review, but thought it would be good to note that I love how Hermione's POV chapters feel so completely qualitatively different than Ron's POV chapters. What do I mean by that? The last chapter, Ron's chapter, felt emotional in a different way- in a specifically male way. That chapter felt very like there was adrenalene running through his veins. It felt like he was thinking and planning and strategizing in a distinctly male way. This chapter, Hermione's chapter, feels much more logical, yet with a feminine emotion. A lot of people like to think Hermione is always logical. She's not. She gets flustered and can rely on her emotions, but she seems to hate that. That's why she clings to her logic, because it pulls the emotions back. It feels very different than the way you portray Ron. I love how it's so completely different and how you distinguish between the two. I'm sure it's difficult to make the writing styles so different, but the effort is not going unnoticed.

I loved how you let Hermione's inner thoughts shine in this middle segment. You let us hear her spoken words, but the gears were turning in her mind, letting her try to figure her way out of this seemingly helpless situation. I admit that even though I knew that it was the real Ron, Ginny, and Neville, I cheered for Hermione when she found her strength and she founght back. I think that was an importnat moment for her, even if it was physically unneccessary. She didn't need to be wary or to fight in reality, but in her mind she did and I'm glad she was able to. I hope Hermione is able to remember that in the coming moments, when she is sure to feel weak and shameful. Thought the entire segment with her trying to fight them off with logic instead of emotion was fantastic.

Another thing I quite liked was how Hermione's view of the situation refuses to let her give in to her hope. Despite the fact that this creates angst for the readers, i thought it was a really realistic response to what she thought was more life-threatening, dangerous, Death Eaters. I thought it was clever that she was so easily able to see that "the impostor" Ron had the perfect mannerisms, and was so similar to the real Ron, as to be a too-perfect replica, but that she was still steadily holding onto her belief that he was a fake. Yes, this might be seen as stubbornness and refusal to see what's in front of her, but I thought it was a realistic response. She had seen a fake Ron, and she was determined not to be fooled, even if his tactics had improved.

I'm talking about moments like this:

//The impostor stopped moving instantly and I hated him for imitating my Ron so well, for knowing he would immediately back down if I felt scared or intimidated.//

//“You’re safe,” he continued, taking small steps closer to me, as though I would be blind enough to not notice his slow but steady decimation of the space between us.//

//He was too much like Ron, my Ron, the real Ron. He sounded too much like him and looked too much like him and acted too much like him and I was going to break him of this torture technique. If he thought I was more likely to break because of his appearance, he had another thing coming to him. I refused to let him see that he had found a way.//

That last quote in particularly I thought was so poignant. Nicely phrased and well thought-out.

And then Ginny and Neville burst in to help, but she can't believe that either. This was a bit heart-breaking. She's feeling so completely abused and over-loaded, as though she can't possibly survive anything else, and then she has to deal with two more people from her life resurfacing as "fakes". Same as above, I love how her thought that they were impostors influenced how she interpreted all of their actions and words. Really, really wonderful.

Poor, poor Ginny! She's finllay thought she's got her best friend back,a nd to then have her not know it's her is so hard. I know they get through it, but my heart was so heavy for Ginny in that moment. *sigh*

I told you I was going to mention it again, but Ginny was Hermione's first kiss?! I thought that was incredibly hot. Seriously, it was so perfect. I don't know why, but it absolutely wouldn't surprise me if that was true. We have no real indication of how close they were, but Hermione did spend a lot of time at the Burrow. Also, it's not like a lot of girls don't do that. Since it's so common, it would make sense. Plus, I can see Hermione looking at it from a practical aspect, while Ginny looked at it from a curiousity standpoint. Actually, they would both probably be curious, but Hermione would have justified it differently I think.

//“Alright, then. If you are who you say you are, you should easily be able to tell me who my first kiss was,” I said, somewhat smugly.

“I was,” she responded without a second’s pause and I gasped loudly, trying to figure out how in hell she could possibly have guessed correctly.

“What?” the impostor Ron yelled loudly, in a manner far too reminiscent of the real Ron, and my heart thudded painfully within my chest. “Ginny! How could you?” he said, and had the audacity to sound hurt about this revelation, as though it meant something to him. Bastard!

“Ron, now’s not really the time to get into this!” she hissed at him, and I almost believed they were the squabbling pair of siblings I used to spend the majority of my time with.//

OMG, that entire passage was fantastic. I could see the whole thing unfolding in my head. As though you could see Ron about to jump out of his skin, a bit turned on, definitely pissed off at both Ginny and Hermione. Mad a Ginny for doing that with his Hermione, and mad at Hermione for doing it at all. *grin* I thought it was brilliant!

And then glimmers of hope just barely start to emerge:

//I glanced at the head Death Eater- Ron?- from the corner of my eye and saw him biting his lip gently and looking apprehensively at me. The entire sequence was so intrinsically Ron and yet I still couldn’t allow myself to honestly believe the ordeal was over. Weeks of hoping for just this moment and then being let down weighed on me, refusing to let me see logic through my fear.//

Heart-breaking. I don't know what else to say about it besides heart-breaking. Made me want to cry for all of them.

And then she believes and they're hugging and I think it's finlaly over and it's beautiful and relieving and everything wonderful I thought it would be. But then she's afraid again and she needs reassurance about Ron and Neville and that's so hard to believe, but it's relieving when it happens. It's so beautiful. Don't know if I've ever said it before, but the Phoenix Feather idea is one of the coolest concepts I've read in any fanfiction i've ever come across. I've mever seen that before. I hope we get to learn more about them at some point?

I loved Ginny comforting Hermione and holding her, rocking her and soothing her. Hermione really needed to be held and Ginny knew that. I think it was a good sstep towards being back into contact with people again. Also thought the flash-back was so painful, but I nice moment to fill us in on some of Hermione's past. Really beautiful.

Lots more to say, as usual, but I think I'll wait until I have the chance to write anotheer review, becuase that one will be about the emerging relationship between Ron and Hermione. I need lots of space to be able to do that.

WOW! As usual, you always leave me yearning for more!

Love and kisses and all thata jazz ~~Jen

Author's Response:

Another beautiful review for you, my dear Jen! ::hugs you:: Thank you so much for your beautiful words!!!

I'm so glad the distinctions between the Ron POV chapters and the Hermione POV chapters are clear. I had hoped that they would seem vastly different, so it's nice to get some feedback about that. Thank you for noticing!

So nice to get feedback about Hermione's stubborn refusal to see that these are her real friends- the real Ron, Ginny, and Neville. I thought it was very important that she focus on any slight clue and refuse to give in, because anyone in her state would be paranoid by then. It felt like a very fine line though, between stubborn/scared and just plain short-sighted/blinded. i'm so happy to hear you felt the balance was right.

Yep, in my universe Ginny was her first kiss. Thought it should be a Weasley and she was perfect for it really! hehe. Glad that sequence worked for you- it was definitely my favourite thing to write in this chapter. I know you love the sibling interaction, as do I, and that part of that chapter was rife with possibility. I could see it perfectly in my mind as well and the sequence made me grin to write.

I'll be getting into the phoenix feather tattoos more in the next fic- they will be part of the storyline, so you'll hear more about them at that point.

Jen, I can't begin to thank you for continuing to write the most lovely reviews for me. It's very flattering to have a friend who is so connected to what I write. Thank you for being one of my best cheerleaders and supporters. You are wonderful! ::huge hugs:: *blackberry pie for you*

More of my two cents. It's more like several dollars worth of my opinions at this point, not cents. But I know you love hearing it, so I'm n ot about to stop.

Let's talk about the begining of this fic. *stern look* Are you trying to give me and the rest of your readers a heart attack? Because I nearly died several times while reading this entire chapter, but more particularly at the begining. That really wasn't very nice of you, was it Risie?

First of all, the kiss!!!!! I was shocked that you gave it to us so quickly, but then you took it away and I wasn't surprised anymore. ;) I'm very intruiged by the interesting situation you're setting up, with Hermione moving in and out of dream states. Or perhaps it's different states of consciousness? I'm very curious to see where you're going with that. It was really interesting to see her coming in and out of the moments with Ron and then the entirely different stuff.

Totally a side note, but lucid dreaming! I always wondered what the term for that is. I do that a bit and never knew if it was normal or if there was a word for it or not. Cool. thanks for that.

I thought it was fantastic that you integrated Ron's words and actions, which we know from the last chapter, into this chapter. It was his words, but something entirely different was happening in Hermione's head. I had thought that was a bit of what was going on in the lsat chapter, but this was a great compliment to the last chapter.

Can I just say yummy:

//“Ron,” I moaned, savouring the way his name sounded on my lips. I never want to hear another man’s name on my lips again. He continued moving lower, nipping at the tops of my breasts, then licking to soothe any ache. His fingers met at the buttons on my shirt and released inch after inch of my torso. His eyes never left mine, even as he kissed each small patch of skin he had uncovered, tracing a line to my bellybutton.//

We better not hear another man's name on her lips again either!

//“Oh, Ron, yes,” I groaned, wanting to encourage him to keep touching me. His was the first intimate and loving touch I had ever experienced. Sure, I’d had sex before, but that’s all it had ever been: sex. This was love; this was the caress of someone who would never harm me, who would never force himself upon me. I welcomed his touches, wanting to replace the revolting and horrifying touches I had been coerced to endure from my memory.//

And this made me whimper. Yeah, we're back to the whimpering. You've referred to the previous sex a couple times and I'm left wondering if you're going to get into that at all. Either way, her thoughts about wanting to replace the awful memories with the real Ron are so tragic and true.

//He kissed my neck while gathering me forward and attempting to unhook my bra. I arched into him, relishing the feel of my breasts pressing into his hard chest and trying to give him more space to manoeuvre my bra off my body. After a moment of fumbling, I became impatient and reached behind my back to help the process along. He chuckled into my neck and whispered, “In a hurry, love?” as though he couldn’t see what I was rushing for. I knew why I was rushing though, because at any moment, this dream might be over and I would wake to the cold reality of my cell again.//

That was also heart-breaking. Hermione, ever logical, knows it isn't real, but she wants to escape reality ofr as long as possible. Given her reality, I can't say that I blame her.

//“Want you, so much. Please. Ron, need you,” I moaned, trying to get him to speed his torturously unhurried pace. I felt his hands skimming over me, gently tracing down my sides, while he continued his open-mouthed descent toward my abdomen, still deliberate and slow.//

I forgot to mention this above, but I love how you managed to give us a pseudo-sex-scene, without it being totally innappropriate. As much as we all are probably dying for some sex in this fic, it just wouldn't be right. And yet you managed to get it in there and giv eus something without it being wrong. Lovely and very hot. I can't wait until this pair gets to the point where they can share for real and have it be very healing. Guesssing that might be in the next fic?

Then as we got into the sections with Hermione and her scary imaginings. I thought the segments with the Death Eater saying horrible things and Hermione trying desperately to block him out of her mind was gorgeous. Completely painful and you can see how much she tortures herself inside. But I know, sadly from experience, that this is so true to life and genuine. Lovely.

And then Ron is back and he's saving her from herslef, if she'll only let him and it's beautiful and I want to savor every drop of it before it's over and gone. And then it's gone and we're back to the horrible spiral she's caught in. Amazing. It's as thoiugh I'm experiencing it for myself. I can feel the confusion and the push-pull of her mind and reality and what she's created in her head. Scary.

Then the pregnant moment! God, somehow I just know that that was a foreshadowing. She is pregnant, isn't she? I just know that's where you're going with this. On one hand, I'm upset if that's the case. This is a horrible enough situation. however, from the point of that actually happens and to hear it being told by you will be amazing, I;m anxious to see how that develops.

//“Ron? Is this real?” I whispered, breaking the silence, but for our shared breaths.

“Yes, love,” he said quietly, and I had a sudden tight feeling within my chest.

Love. My heart sank in an instant. He never calls me love- this is still a dream! I begged myself to fight, to wake up and somehow fight off the impostor. Wake up, Hermione, wake up!//

So heart-breaking. Truly, truly heart-breaking.

Lots more to say, but this seems a good place to take a break and start a new review. This whole begining third part of the chapter was amazing. Really amazing. I don't honestly know how to begin to describe the feelings I had while reading it, but I hope that above gave you some idea of how much it touched me.

Sorry! I was not, in fact, trying to give you a heart attack, but I can see why some of this was so shocking and unexpected! I do hope your pitter-patters subsided a bit, so you could enjoy the chapter without too much stress. :o) In many ways, this was the easiest AND the most difficult chapter to write (up until this point anyway) and the kisses were part of that. I'm so glad you enjoyed that moment!

We'll get to see more about Hermione's altering states in the next chapter and moreso in the chapter after that. Having the integration of Ron's words and Hermione's dreams was a neat section to write though. I'm very pleased to hear you liked it.

::hugs you, because you know what this is like:: It's such a difficult thing to quantify, to explain, but I think it's something that fellow survivors instinctively understand. In your emails you say that reading this fic brings you comfort and solace and helps you to feel understood. I am beyond pleased at how you are connecting with the fic and the various components. I had hoped it might be healing for anyone who had gone through a similar experience as well.

Thank you so much, again and as always, for the really lovely review. You certainly don't have to leave these wonderful, detailed, warm passages, but my heart swells with joy when I receive them, so thank you for that! ::big hugs:: *peppermint patties for you*

Hiya Risie! I've finally got some time to do some more detailed reviews of this chapter. I couldn't possibly sum up this huge chapter into a shorter review. Each chapter gets better and this is no exception. Thank you for all you give us.

This is my review about Ron in this chapter. I know this chapter was a Hermione POV one, but this chapter had so many perfect moments with Ron that I specifically wanted to review just that. Ron is this chapter is flawless. More perfect than flawless if that's possible. Your Ron is so in character in words, gestures, posture, emotion, and his internal process. It's amazing. I don't know how you do it, nbut with each passing chapter, you Ron becomes more and more the Ron I expect to see. He is the person I think JKR envisions him to be. Beautiful.

These are the best examples of whta I'm talking about:

//“There. I’ve said it. I can’t take it back now and you can’t bloody make me."//

just a little bit of swearing, because ron's definitely a bit of that. But he's so sure of himself and his feelings. This is the part that I love.

//"I love you. I’m in love with you. I’m so bloody in love with you that I don’t fucking know what to do with myself.”//

Same as the above. It's his certainty that strikes me. Very in character. When he wasn't sure, he didn't know how firmly to make his statements. But she's now told him that it's mutual, in so many ways. now he has the strength to tell her. I love his resolve.

//Uncharacteristically, the Death Eater scrambled off of the bed, both hands raised up as though in surrender, and looked at me with horror clear across his face.//

My heart broke a little at this. I can just see how Ron would be completely broken up this. His fear a couple chapters ago, when he was hesitant to share the memory, was that he would lose her. This must have been like his worst nightmare coming to life.

//“Okay, okay, I won’t come any closer. Hermione, it’s just me, it’s just Ron. I know you’re scared, but it’ll be okay,” he said in that same tone, biting his lip and trying to get me to believe he was actually hurt by my distrust of him.//

Perfect. Nothing else to say but perfect.

//Oh, you’re good! The Death Eater had the audacity to continue his charade, tears welling up in his eyes, his posturing slumping in just the way Ron’s did when he felt defeated.//

I whimpered. Yep, full-out whimpered for Ron right here.

//“I dunno what to say. I mean, I tried. I don’t know what to do,” the Ron look-alike said, one hand shakily pulling through his ginger locks, the other clenched tightly by his side.//

*sigh* I can see this so easily in my mind.

//“What?” the impostor Ron yelled loudly, in a manner far too reminiscent of the real Ron, and my heart thudded painfully within my chest. “Ginny! How could you?” he said, and had the audacity to sound hurt about this revelation, as though it meant something to him. Bastard! //

I'm going to put this more detailed in another review, but that semgent was so awesome!!!!! I love tht it was Ginny and I love that Ron got so jealous over it. I can totally see that being plausible.

//I shifted my gaze to the gap between my two friends to the lone figure near the wall. Oh, dear, this isn’t good. Ron was standing, shoulders slightly slumped, one hand clenched tightly by his side and the other running through his hair.//

More whimpering for Ron. Honestly, I thought that moment was so raw and beautiful.

//“I thought I lost you,” he said, echoing Ginny’s earlier comment, but his words affected me in a way hers had not.// ..... //“I thought I wouldn’t be able to get to you,” he said, tears still springing from his eyes, but much more slowly than before.// ..... //“You almost weren’t,” he whispered back to me and pulled me closer to him, eliminating the space between our bodies. His arms tightened around my body almost before I realised he was moving. “When you stopped breathing… Fuck! Hermione. Hermione, I- I’d die without you,” he practically sobbed into my neck. “I wanted to die when I thought you were gone.”//

That entire section between the two of them was so gorgeous. In DH when Ron brought Hermione to Shell Cottage, I always wonder how he reacted to her. I thought it would have been something like this. Something that finally broke down that last barrier between the two of them.

//I turned my face back in time to see Ron turn around, defeated, and head toward the door without saying anything. His shoulders were slightly slumped and his gait was slower than usual, as though an invisible string was pulling him toward the door and he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to leave or not.//

I died a bit inside at this. More whimpering followed. How you say som uch, with both so many and so few words, I don't know. But it's lovely.

//“Ron,” I called out to him and he stopped walking, but didn’t turn his head. Please don’t walk away! I can’t bear anything else. I saw him take a deep breath and then straighten his shoulders, still not turning around to face me.

“I’ll be here when you’re done, love,” he said quietly. He grasped the doorknob, opened the door, and walked out without another word.//

This was such a tragic, raw, and painful moment to end their interactions of the chapter on, but somehow beautiful and just right.

If I had this much to say about Ron in this chapter imagine how much I have to say about Hermione. Again, this chapter was wonderful. Thank you.

Kisses and all that jazz ~~JEN

Author's Response:

Wow, Jen, I'm blushing (as per usual) after reading your positively glowing and generous review! I can't believe how many details you zeroed in on, and I can't begin to thank you enough for the truly lovely words. You feed my soul so deeply and I am amazed that you take the time to go through the fic so thoroughly with each chapter. I definitely have a wonderful friend in you and I'm so grateful. Thank you!

I can't believe you did an entire review on Ron, all on his own! I'm am so pleased to hear how much you resonated with Ron in this chapter and found him to be in-character. I adore Ron- he's my favourite character, so it's ironic that I seem to torture him so often. Still, I think he's the strongest, most real character in the entire series. You can't know what it means to me to have you feel I've portrayed him well.

Yes, I agree, quite a bit of this did seem like a nightmare come true for Ron. His fear throughout this entire ordeal has been to lose Hermione, either physically or emotionally. These moments in the hospital were just what he had imagined: her not being able to trust him. Obviously not either of their faults, but it truly is an awful thing to have to live through. The next chapter is about him, so it'll be easier to explore those dynamics from his perspective, but there was a little glimpse of it in this segment and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I, too, have often wondered at the moments Ron and Hermione must have shared in the cottage, after that hugely emotional and traumatic situation, while Harry was out grieving. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that situation. I guess that's what fanfiction and imagination are for, yeah? This is about how I saw it in my mind. Glad it matched up a bit with your idea as well! :o)

It was a difficult place for me to leave that dynamic off on, but the chapter had already gotten so long and I was really itching to cut it off. I won't keep you waiting on that part too long, though, there will be more Ron and Hermione interactions in the next chapter.

Thank you again for the absolutely lovely review. Truly, I am so spoiled by you and I can't thank you enough for your feedback and response. ::huge hugs:: *chocolate dipped biscotti and tea for you*

It simply refused to do what I commanded it: it responded with arousal when I demanded that it be disgusted and horrified and it responded with revulsion and fear when I begged it to respond with feelings of love and safety. This is so fucked up!

I think this is the real issue that's going to plague Hermione and Ron for a very long time until they both heal. I know that the road will be difficult but i do wonder what will Ron do when he finds out that the evil bastard was using him to hurt and rape Hermione. I predict that when he does find out he will back away and decide not to cause her more pain even thow HE KNOWS it wasn't him.

My heart broke when he left the room with a defeated figure in him, it's so hard on her but it must be also hard as hell on him, not being able to help her.

Now you better not make Hermione pregnant with that bastard, or i will kick you lol.

Author's Response:

Hi there again! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing this chapter- you're very much appreciate and I enjoy hearing your thoughts. I hope my responses are able to give you some idea where this is heading, without giving too much away...

I agree with you, the really long-term problems will surround Hermione's ability to process through and forgive herself, as well as the interaction between the two of them. There definitely will be issues about Ron finding out what happened with the evil bastard, some of which I'll get to in this fic and some will unfold in the planned follow-up piece. Hermione's health issues will be revealed in this fic, but not really dealt with until the follow up fic.

My heart broke for Ron in this chapter as well. It's a difficult situation all around that's neither of their faults, but neither can "fix" it, at least not quickly. I'm hoping to bring back some hope to him in the next couple chapters.

Thank you again for the lovely review- it's always wonderful to hear how you're connecting with the fic! *banana split for you*

::Although I could be calm under pressure, I tended to fall apart when nobody was watching.::

Yep.

I loved this, well, okay, you know what I mean! Hermione's conversation with herself and her thoughts, are, in my opinion, spot on.

*hugs Ron*

*small meep*

Author's Response:

more meeping! I'm so glad the characterisation of Hermione resonated with you and you found it to be true. I quiter enjoy writing Hermione, specifically because of her internal monologue. ::hugs Ron with you:: You'll really want to hug him soon, I think.

Thank you again for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it and I'm so happy you're enjoying it. *chocolate-covered toffee bits for you*

Author's Response: heh. I think you're going to kill me when you get farther along. I fully expect an angry phone call from you or a ranty email ahead. ::braces:: Glad the no words is in a good way! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! ::hugs:: *hershey's kisses for you*

I'm a little bothered that Healer!Neville is over-ruling his patient. I know it happens in real medical and therapeutic situations, but I expect better of Neville than that. Ah, well!

It's so good to see Ron and Hermione finally building a relationship based on their real feelings, and daunting to get a glimpse of how long and rocky the road ahead of them will be.

Author's Response:

Finally back to the internets and able to respond! Thank you so much, my dear friend, for the lovely review and the phone chat re: this chapter. I really appreciate being able to hear your thoughts and perspective on the chapter and the direction the fic is taking. Your opinions mean a lot to me.

Yep, the road is long and hard, but at least they have the chance to walk it. More development on that path to come soon! Thanks again! *cinnamon bun for you*

You can't leave us hanging like this!! I need to know what happens next!!! I need more!

Author's Response: Sorry, I do seem to have the problem with leaving stories hanging for a bit. Due to RL issues and computer problems, I was away from any computer access for 3 weeks. I'm back to writing and just finished a chapter of If a Man Answers (with beta now) so I'll be getting back to this one shortly. Thanks for reviewing and being so enthusiastic- very much appreciated! :o) *pecan pie for you*

Yes, the evil cliffie strikes again! It won't be as long between updates as the last time, but it's gonna be a few more weeks probably, since I'm trying to update If a Man Answers.

::nods:: Neville is one of my favourites too and I was so happy to work him into this fic. I always kinda saw him in this sort of role, though that's not how he ended up...

::grins:: You know, you're the only person to mention the Hermione/Ginny first kiss, but I was quite proud of that moment! I wanted it to be something surprising, instead of Krum, because I think Hermione has a lot of hidden aspects of herself and she's underestimated. SO glad you thought it was hot and that you liked it!

Thank you so much for your lovely review, my sweetie. You are so wonderful and I really appreciate hearing your thoughts! ::hugs:: *mocha frappacino for you*

OMG, i can't wait to read the next chapter! once again, i'm at the edge of my seat.

p.s. the image of snape shagging hagrid made me gag ;)

Author's Response: Can't believe how absolutely quickly you've gotten through all of these chapters! You always were a fast reader!! Thanks so much for the continual support, hon, I really appreciate it. Oh, and can't you see how that would be the perfect way to kill arousal?? hehe. *blackberry pie for you*

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